


Insert Shark Bait Quote from Finding Nemo here

by MuffinMaster4life



Category: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: Abusive Parents, Also like pronouns are rarely used for the first bit? But there is some, Also this is me self projecting I swear im not a cis person tryin to get out easy this is for real, Angst, But its used very sparingly its not like huge, But then the rest its pretty much, Coming Out, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Eventual Happy Ending, Eventual Romance, Fluff and Humor, Gender Dysphoria, Gender Issues, Gender-Neutral Pronouns, I have no idea how long thisll go but maybe 30 chapters, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Its no fun planning everything, Later on for plot that leads to shit, Mentioned Mipha, Misgendering, No Smut, Oh also, Only mentioning this for plot reasons tho cuz like... gerudo town, Other, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Post-Calamity Ganon, Reader is AFAB - Freeform, Reader is Nonbinary, Slow Burn, Swearing, Tags May Change, Thought that was obvious
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-30
Updated: 2020-04-14
Packaged: 2021-03-01 04:35:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,037
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23089474
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MuffinMaster4life/pseuds/MuffinMaster4life
Summary: All you wanted was some arrows and a bit of exploration, not too much to ask for right?Unfortunately, Hylia had other plans.When you finally arrive at the famed Zora's Domain, you find their people in need of a Hylian like you to aid their prince on his way to Gerudo Town. Despite your initial reservations, your morals get the best of you and you agree to help.Oh, did you mention that you hate the guy?
Relationships: Prince Sidon/Reader
Comments: 11
Kudos: 68





	1. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You settle in for the night at a stray camp, but gain a surprise visit from a rude stranger.

Sliding your pack and quiver off your back and to the ground below, you let out a contented sigh. As tired as you are from the day’s travels, you push yourself to tend to the premade fire and supplies littered around the camp. The low flames crackle and roar to life when you add the much needed new kindling. 

You had been following the path along Zora river when you happened across two small lizalfos camps, with another just across the nearby bridge. With your boosted stealth and a few carefully aimed arrows, the monsters were reduced to dust, and the sites were yours. You had snagged the assortment of meats roasting by their fires, and settled at the larger camp across Oren bridge. 

The spot was built under a natural alcove of stone, that would shield you from view and the elements for the night. If worse came to worse, you could use the open river before you to your advantage, and knock them into the depths. It was the perfect spot, you were amazed you got this lucky just as it was starting to get dark. 

When you’re finally done taking into account the supplies and loot leftover from the monsters, you flop down in front of the campfire and lean against one of the wooden crates you had cracked open in your looting spree. Resting your eyes for just a moment, you take in the sounds and smells of the wild. 

The continuous trickle of the river flow, the breeze rustling the different pine trees surrounding the region, and the chirping of the crickets coming out to play in the moonlight. All of the sounds play to your ears like a natural symphony. The smell of the moist earth and the savory meats roasting by the fire was invigorating, and you’re reminded just why you loved traveling across Hyrule.

Pulling yourself from your senses, you rummage through your pack. Let’s see.. _Leftover food, clothes, bandages, ingredients, monster parts, potions--_

“Aha!” With a triumphant huff you fish out your prized map and spread it out on the cool, smooth floor. The steady flames in front of you lit up the area plenty enough to clearly see the chart. The different tongues of flame painted everything around you with a soft yellow glow. Keeping one hand on the right side of the map as you grab one of the roasted bass you stole, you munch while you scope out the trail to your destination on the detailed parchment. 

You had been on the road to Zora's domain for almost three days now, and according to your map you should arrive by tomorrow. That is, if Hylia grants you with the gift of clear skies. The region was notorious for having downcast weather, much to your chagrin. It was partially why you’ve never attempted to venture to the place before. You’d take a little sweat from the desert or even a few burns from Death Mountain over a week full of non stop storms. You shuddered at the thought, no thank you.

Finishing the first fish, you plant the spear it was on back into a soft patch of ground. You start to reach for the second, but freeze when something catches your ear. 

A warning came in the form of a stray wave, pounding against the rocks of the river. Then, crack! You whirl your head around. In the darkness you manage to make out what used to be a large log, now snapped in half and floating in the water.

You launch to your feet and snatch your bow in an instant. Knocking an arrow against the bow just as quick. Pointing your weapon towards the water, you watch the broken segments drift downstream. 

Just one of the halves could dwarf you in comparison. The trunk was so massive one could take a stroll across it without even an inkling of worry about losing balance. But that observation brought up two urgent questions. Who or _what_ could snap such a gargantuan piece of wood in half like a mere toothpick? And what did it want with you?

Your grip on your bow is like iron, your stance just as tense. Your eyes are glued to the river in a permanent glare, ready to let the arrow fly at the first sight of danger. You wet your lips.

“I know you’re there! Come out and face me!” you call out. You let your words sink in for a few moments. 

But soon seconds turned to minutes, and still, nothing moved. No new noises, no new threats. Just the same water, the same breeze, and the same crickets. 

Eventually your grip relaxes, and you slowly retract the arrow. The tension, though still present, eases up. And you carefully take your original seat by the fire. You eye the bass from earlier, but find your appetite missing. Your eyes flick to the floor, your weapons, the water, and back to the floor. Over and over, as if your eyes were pacing rather than your legs. Your mind finally starts to settle down.

Perhaps it was nothing-

_WHOOSH!_

With a burst, a geyser of water surges upwards. Something had shot out of the river and soared high into the night. You instinctively rush forwards to protect the fire. The wave comes crashing down onto your figure, and cascades down your body. 

So much for no rain.

Blinking droplets out of your eyes wildly, a guttural cry of anger leaves your lips. Disbelief and shock smearing your face as your mouth forms into an “O.” You’re soaked to the bone, but the fire had managed to survive the downpour. 

Whatever had caused the mini flood had landed with grace by the riverbank. In fact, more than grace. The thing landed a complex series of flips! What the hell is it? An acrobat?! You don’t recall ever angering the circus.

Recovering from the shock, you rolled forward and snatched your bow, nimbly knocking an arrow and pointing your weapon towards the figure. Your heart was pumping hard. The adrenaline and the cold push your system in a similar fashion. 

Whatever it was, it definitely wasn’t another lizalfos.

But before you can even think of letting the arrow fly, the figure puts their hands high up in surrender. “Please! Lower your weapons! I mean no harm!” 

You blink, confused, but your stance doesn’t change. Perhaps the yiga clan have finally learned some new tricks, but it doesn’t seem likely. The deceptive spies were always on the average size, aside from the bigger ones involved in ambushes, but this person is anything _but_ average. You mull over your options.

“...Step into the light and keep your hands where I can see them.” You’re demanding, but they do as you ask. Though you suppose it’s a little hard to refuse when you have an arrow aimed at your face. When they’re finally visible, your eyes widen. 

Cool red skin, multicolored fins, around ten feet tall, sporting a tail on the back of their hammerhead shaped… well, head. Your supposed “attacker” was unmistakably a zora. 

On top of that! You had been traveling along the Zora river. On your way to the **Zora** Domain. This was the region of **_zoras._** **_Zoras_** travel through water.

You felt like the biggest fool in all of Hyrule. 

Your face flushes with embarrassment, despite the fact you’re still drenched from the aquatic fiend’s grand entrance. 

Oh yeah, about that.

“Was that really necessary?!” You hissed, letting your weapon drop, but only a smidgeon. 

The stranger tilts their head to the side, confused, but then they notice how your state resembled a stray cat caught in a storm. 

“.. _Ah._ My due apologies, I didn't mean to inconvenience you. I just... merely wished to make a good first impression,” he-- _he? Yes he,_ \-- concedes. His voice is plummy and modulating, holding some sort of accent you don’t recognize. Considering the intricate designs of the pieces of armor and jewelry dotting his body, along with the curly feather atop his head, you’d guess he’s somewhere in the upper class among his kind.

You scoff, “oh you’ve made a first impression alright.” The bitterness and sarcasm in your tone grants you a wince from your company. 

“Please, I’d just like a few moments of your time,” he requests earnestly. You study his face, but annoyingly you don’t find anything but sincerity. You’re still pissed, but you didn't have a real reason to turn him away …... _Yet._

“Fine. Make it quick,” you answer flatly. You lower your weapon completely, and he eagerly takes his seat on the floor by the fire. When you don’t move, he looks at you-- _for he didn’t really have to look up due to his height,_ \--with confusion on his features. 

“Aren’t you going to..?” he gestures to the floor.

“I’ll stand, thank you.” You had meant what you’d said before.

“Right.” He clears his throat, but unfortunately not the tension. “Ahem, you’re a Hylian, yes?”

You give him a deadpan look, “ _No,_ I’m a _fairy._ What do _you_ think?”

He flinches and fiddles with the frilly cravat tucked into his neck piece. “That was a silly question point taken.”

You huff and cross your arms. “Cut to the chase, what do you want from me?”

“Well you see, the Domain is in need of someone to help protect the..” he pauses for a moment and seems to consider his next words. “..The _Prince_ , yes, on his way to another region. But zoras, as you may know, are highly sensitive to electricity, and the way there is filled to the brim with electrical monsters. The… _King_ is worried of what might become of him if he were to journey there by his lonesome.” 

You see where this is going. “So you want someone like me for the job because I’m not particularly weak to a few shocks, right?” 

He nods feverently, and gives you a great big smile. He waves his arms grandly in excitement. “Yes! Oh I’m so glad you understand!” he cheers.

“Yeah, no thanks.” 

He stops mid cheer, “Pardon?”

You remove your trusty, now soggy, cloak and lay it by the fire. “Being the personal bodyguard of some pompous rich boy and walking to Hylia knows where for Hylia knows how long? I’m good.” Your resignation left the fish gawking at you in disbelief. 

“But this is an urgent matter! I wouldn’t be out here unless it was of utmost importance!” He insists, his voice bellowing. 

“You know what was important to me?” you pull off one of your boots and turn it upside down, water pours out and splashes on the rocky floor below. “Staying dry.”

He huffs, clearly frustrated. “If I had known this is what would've happened, I wouldn’t have wasted my time here.” You pull off your other boot with a _flop._ He clicks his teeth, “Do you not have the decency to help people in need?” 

You pull off your wet socks and let them drop to the floor. You cock your head to him, aghast. “ _Excuse_ me?”

You stand, and march over to him with speed the still comfortable zora wasn’t prepared for. He scrambles to his feet and barely has enough time to back up enough from your fury. But you still manage to get in his face, or close to it from your lack of height compared to his. You aren’t fazed.

“You sneak up on me in the middle of the night, quite literally _**rain**_ on my parade, you ask me to travel far across Hyrule with some royal guy I’ve never met!” You jab your finger at his face with each point you list. “And you have the _audacity_ to criticize me for NOT agreeing to help you?! Who the hell do you think you are?!” You’re seething at this point, and internally regret leaving your bow by your pack. 

He bares his teeth, shark fangs glistening in the light. “Well, I’ll have you know that I’m the Pr-” 

“Stop!” you cut him off, putting your hands up in the air and shutting your eyes tight. “You know what? I don’t care. Just get the hell away from my camp and pray to Hylia you don’t see me tomorrow.” You storm back to your things and start laying your socks out. “As you can see, I’m cold and wet! Which is thanks to you, might I add. So I’d really like to get these dry as soon as possible and catch at the very least, an hour of sleep.” 

He’s angry now too, you can see it clear as day. But you don’t care. If he didn’t use his brain and leave in the next five seconds, you were going to force him into that blasted river yourself. 

Thankfully, he manages to get the message. “Fine then. If you change your mind, speak to King Dorephan at the Domain.” He strides towards the riverbank and stops to only speak two more terse words. “Good day.” And with a thankfully smaller splash, he dove into the river and out of sight. Presumably swimming upstream to said Domain. 

Good.

You let a few seconds pass before you sigh in both relief, and exasperation. You were already tired, now you were exhausted, and cold, _and_ wet. 

Speaking of, you start to strip the last few garments you wore now that you were finally alone. Your cloak had thankfully dried by then, and you pull the long fabric over your bare form with a shudder. Better. 

As you wait for your other clothes to dry-- _you could just use your other packed clothes but those were for specific regions,_ \--you let your thoughts wander, only to repeatedly set on your encounter with the zora. 

Maybe if the bastard didn’t try to win you over with his aquatic circus tricks you’d consider his request. You had nothing against the king and his people, for you were travelling there to experience it all. But you weren’t about to spend a chunk of your life miserable for those you hardly knew about.

You shake your head, and look to the stars. They were always more clear away from civilization, the lights of the town always toned down their shine some. When you started getting closer to the Domain, you figured it would slowly gain the same effect. But looking now, you find the same crystal clear view among the night sky. Perhaps they appreciate the view enough to prevent the loss of it. It was a comforting thought among your uncomfortable situation.

You smile at that, then check your clothes to see if they’ve dried. Still ever so damp, but it will have to do. You start to pull on the different layers and wonder how a trip could be so important to the zoras, that they’d ask an outsider for help.

You start to huddle in for the night. Pulling your cloak around yourself like a blanket, you lean against the boxes and try to relax. But the frustration from your encounter still wears on you.

If they were royals, they could always just pay somebody to do it. They’re rich and powerful, they can figure it out. You were just here to take in the sights, explore the mountains, and buy a few wares. You couldn’t imagine them wanting anything to do with you otherwise. Let alone trusting a complete stranger to escort their precious prince.

You chuckle at the thought. Right, as if.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This and chapter 2 are already done, and the next will be uploaded periodically. But after that, its a you'll see it when its done situation. Thank you for your patience, and lemme know what you think so far!


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You finally arrive at the Zora's Domain! But find yourself at the center of attention.

The air is crisp and the sun is high, and as you make your way down Ruto Mountain, you let yourself rest for just a moment. The day’s journey has been long, but you should finally arrive at your destination shortly. According to your map, if you keep following the path you should see it soon. 

The shock arrow wielding foes guarding the way there have worn you down some, and you’re looking forward to staying in the softest bed available at the local Inn. _Goddess_ , how you missed a real bed.

Rounding the corner of the passage, you finally make it out of the tunnel, and the world opens out before you. You gasp at the sight that greets you. 

Across two lengthy bridges you finally lay your eyes upon the famed Domain. It wasn’t just another town, the infrastructure was art itself. The architecture was immensely detailed; tall pillars and curved waterways built with refined luminous stone. Different statues and monuments of beautiful fish carved into and on top of different sections, each laid out perfectly symmetrical to one another. You spy different waterfalls pouring down into the waters below, glimmering in the afternoon sun. It was all spectacularly grand, and it-- _quite literally_ ,--took your breath away.

You excitedly sprint down the trail on the mountain and over the first bridge arching over Ruto lake. This is it! You’ve finally made it! You can’t wait to-

Trip?

Thanks to a stray rock jutting out in the path, you take a tumble down the road head first and land in an offways patch of greenery. You rub your pounding head, your whole body growing just as sore. The whiny “Owwww!..” that leaves your lips feels like a massive understatement. 

You’re about to get up and dust yourself off, when a long snout protruding out from the ledge greets you from above. Your jaw shuts close with an audible click. Steadying your panicked breathing, you start to inch away. Bit by bit, you crawl backwards, your limbs splayed out like an upside down crab. Rather ridiculous looking, but you weren't exactly in a place to be amused.

When you’re far enough out to see, you find your suspicions were correct; a murky colored moblin was scouting the area you had just rolled through. It was a miracle it hadn’t spotted you.

The moblin peers around with it’s back now, _thankfully_ , turned to you. Swinging its long spear impatiently with one of its massive hands, it tries to get a whiff of what had made it past; taking in repetitive, deep breaths through its lengthy, pale blue, piggy nose. 

You slowly get to your feet, and take baby steps backwards, trying to make it onto the next bridge and out of relative sight. You’ve taken down plenty of moblins, but the close proximity of your encounter threw you off your rhythm. You didn’t know if you could find the right items in your pack right away, with how jumbled your things must be after the fall. Especially if you had to reach behind your back without looking for them personally, and you couldn’t exactly do that in combat without cover. 

You take a peek behind you, you’re almost to the bridge. Just a little more, you’ll be out of its range of vision soon-

_Snap!_

The moblin grunts and whirls around to see none other than little old you, mid pose with a newly broken branch beneath your misplaced foot. You’ve frozen in place, an awkward expression on your frightened face.

Welp.

When the giant starts to charge down the hill, whatever spell holding you in place was released, you turn around and immediately book it for the bridge. You hear its angry cry as it follows in pursuit. You manage to take your first few steps onto the Great Zora Bridge when its spear flies past you like a javelin, narrowly missing you and instead clattering against the aquamarine tiles. 

Ok you definitely had to do something.

You grind your feet into the floor and swerve back to the beast. It lumbers towards you, each step thrice the size of your own. It was now or never.

You whisper a quiet prayer to Hylia that your fingers find the right arrow within your mixed up quiver, and find that she had listened. Your fingers manage to find the ice arrow that you so desperately needed, knocking it against your bow with ease. You let your adrenaline fuel your pace as you launch the arrow, landing directly between the foe's eyes. 

Frost spreads from the wounded monster’s head and races all over its body in an instant. Like a lit match set to a pile of withered straw. In less than a second the moblin is frozen in place, shimmering in the daylight. It could have been mistaken for an ice sculpture if one didn’t know any better. 

You catch wind of hurried footsteps and the shallow clanking of metal behind you; some guards must be on their way to join the fight and protect the Domain. You better finish this before they arrive, or _worse_ , the monster breaks free from its temporary prison.

Unsheathing your broadsword, you launch yourself forwards and slash the moblin deep in the waist with an outcry. A few more strikes, and the beast shatters the ice encasing it, and falls into nothingness, dark matter and dust littering the ground soon carried away in the wind. You pant, and sheath your sword.

You bend over to pick up your prizes and catch your breath, when the footsteps finally come to a stop. You peer behind you and find your hunch was right yet again; you’re greeted by two zora guards. While different colors from each other, one an earthy brown and the other a rich purple, both were equipped with the same armor and signature zora spears.

“Are you alright, traveler?” the murky one asks, concerned. 

“Fine thank you, I apologize for that.. Disturbance,” you say, loading the moblin horn into your bag then turning to face the guard.

He blinks, looking you up and down with surprise, then turns to his partner with a hand covering the side of his mouth, shielding their private exchange. They nod to each other, then turn back to you. “You’re a hylian, yes? You seem to be plenty capable of handling yourself in battle,” the same guard observed, addressing you once more.

You remember your unwanted visitor from yesterday along with his plea, and realize history is about to repeat itself. “...Yes I suppose so,” you finally reply, already knowing where this is going.

“The king is requesting all experienced hylian travelers to please pay him a special visit. Would you perhaps be willing to listen to what his majesty has to say?” 

What you really wanted to say was _“haha, no.”_ All you wanted was to grab your arrows, sell your work, crash for the night and then bounce. But the two hadn’t done anything to wrong you, they didn’t throw you in a lake, and neither has the king. In fact, they came to your aid, even if it ended up being pointless in the end. So you ignore your reservations and decide to give them something more passive instead.

“... Perhaps, later on I might, if that’s alright,” you answer. Not a promise, but not a definite no, hopefully it will satisfy them.

Apparently it did more than that, they were all smiles after your reply. “Good! We’ll alert him of your pending visit.” They step aside then beckon for you to follow them across the bridge, inviting you to the looming domain behind them. 

You do so, and find the overpass was very drawn out, it wasn’t called the _Great Zora Bridge_ for nothing you suppose. To pass the time on the minor trek, the two guards try to make small talk with you along the way. You humored them, and found out a bit of trivia about the domain and themselves. 

The guard who did the talking earlier was named Rivan, and his partner-- _and daughter apparently_ , --was named Dunma. Rivan had been a part of the kingdom’s guard for over 100 years, and his daughter for 50 now. You squawk when you register the numbers, to which they find rather amusing. 

You had known zoras stayed around for quite a long time, but the sheer amount of years they had been working alone, let alone how old they must be themselves, was too much for your short life-spanned Hylian self to process. 

Suddenly you felt like a child, but they assured you with a bit of laughter that you were not in fact "just baby" to them. You didn't mind the embarrassment, you're just happy to make them smile.

Soon the path comes to an end, and you find yourselves at the entrance, with the main plaza opened up before you. You turn to your new acquaintances, “Thank you for your kindness.”

“Of course, King Dorephan is in the throne room at the top of the stairs,” Dunma says, pointing to the adjacent, grand flights of stairs on each side of the town square. 

You nod, and give your goodbyes with a friendly wave, then walk into the Domain’s plaza. It was more impressive up close than on the view from the cliff. The detail into the archways and rails were immaculate and stunning. The thing most eye-catching however was the statue in the center of the town. 

A beautiful zora with a trident between her lax arms, crystals jutting out from below her legs. It stood proud and awesome for all to admire. It takes you a moment to place her name, Mipha you believe. You had heard stories of the champions from your friends at Hyrule Castle.

You're pulled out of your thoughts by hushed whispers behind you. You look out of the corner of your eye and notice most of the townspeople staring at you. 

Some were quiet and secretive, whispering to each other as they kept their gaze fixed on you. While others just merely looked you over, curious at your arrival. Smaller children couldn't keep their thoughts to themselves however, and wildly pointed at you with curiosity and excitement, only to have their guardians shush them.

The one thing they all shared was that unmistakable glimmer of hope in their eyes.

You pull the hood of your cloak over yourself, embarrassed from all the attention, and hurry into the nearby general store. Different wares and goods are laid out on the counters, and a blue zora resides behind the register. You eye the bundles, “How much for the arrows?”

The shopkeeper, who you just noticed was observing you much like the others outside, is caught off guard by your question. “I’m sorry I didn’t catch that,” he sputters.

You point to the arrows and look back to him, “ _Oh_ , the regulars are twenty rupees for five. The ice is twenty each, but you can get five for the price of four!” He lists, trying to sweeten the deal. 

“I’ll take all you got, if you don’t mind.” He doesn’t, so you hand him a few hundred rupees and gain a bit of welcomed weight in your quiver. 

You turn to leave, but then remember all the people outside. “Do you..” you begin, and bring the cashier out of his ogling fit once more. You huff, “Do you know where I could find some… Privacy here?” 

He scratches his chin, “Hmm.. Perhaps up the stairs by the Goddess Statue? People only go up there to stand by the balcony or meet with the royals.” 

“Thank you,” a grateful smile graces your features. The shopkeeper nods, still a tad flustered, and you take your leave.

Quickly turning round the corner and speeding past those who still find interest in your retreating form, you hurry up the closest flight of stairs. When you reach the next floor, you're relieved to find yourself alone. Also that the stairs were finished; _good lord **do not**_ run up the stairs, it really takes it out of ya.

You spot the goddess statue he had mentioned, and waltz over. It was very much the same as others you've found all over Hyrule. It laid in the center of the wall in a small alcove, resting in a pool of water that caused light to dance around the bottom. You sit down on the cool tiles and sigh, you need a breath before facing anyone else. 

The cool breeze could reach you much better on the higher level, and you invite the freshness into your system. It was good to take a break from all traveling, _and_ all the people. You were wandering alone for a reason after all, and people became much more exhausting to deal with over time. 

But now that you're finally at your destination, you feel lost. There’s not much around other than curious onlookers and a couple beautiful sights. What should you do now-

“Sidon, please! Now is not the time to lose your temper!”

From above the staircase you hear someone bellow, jolting you from your thoughts. Different voices continue to argue as they fade in volume, leaving you unable to catch another word.

You look to the Goddess Statue for wisdom, although you’re not really sure what you expected, it was basically just a divine rock. 

You wouldn’t consider yourself nosy, but you were invited to see the king anyways, so might as well satiate your curiosity. Climbing the next flight of stairs up to the top, you quietly step into the room. The bickering was over by then, and you spy a grumbling, elderly zora pacing back and forth, along with-- _absolutely no exaggeration_ , --the largest person you have ever seen. 

Sitting tall and proud in the overwhelmingly massive throne, was who you could only assume was King Dorephan. Decorated with different sashes, armor, jewelry, and even a few scars; he’s dressed in a similar fashion to the unwanted visitor from last night. His expression, however, isn’t as proud and grand like the rest of him. In fact it’s quite the opposite, he’s sitting with his elbow resting on the arm of his seat, his hand cupping his face in exasperation. 

He lets out a sigh, “I understand why he is so upset, but.. It troubles me to see how hard my boy is pushing himself.” 

The elder but smaller scaled one stops his bitter pace and grumbles. “My liege, we are doing nothing but wasting our precious time with these false hopes! We must prepare the best we can with what we have, while we still can!” His voice is shrill and hurried, opinionated felt like a mild word for the energy he portrayed.

The taller sighs again, then finally notices your distant form. “Hmm? Ah, you must be the Hylian the guards had alerted me about.” 

You flush when you realize you’ve been caught eavesdropping, so much for not being nosy. Oddly enough, the king doesn’t mind, he chuckles good heartedly with a knowing smile upon his features.

“No need to be bashful, come in, come in. You very well may be the one we need in this predicament,” he hails, gesturing for you to come forward. You step forward tentatively, and stop on the raised platform laid out in front of him. He pats the arms of his chair and leans forward a tad, before he speaks. “Hmmm, It must have been quite a laborious task to reach here, many monsters lurk along the way. I congratulate you for having made it here all by your lonesome.” 

He looks you over once more, and eyes the weapons you carry on your back. “The guards have spoken to me of your triumph with the Moblin at the entrance. Tell me, young one, would you consider yourself a skilled combatant?”

You felt a tad embarrassed, you didn’t find that scuffle all that impressive compared to other encounters you’ve had in the past. You fidget with the rim of your cloak and shuffle your feet. “I.. Well, I suppose so. I _have_ traveled across Hyrule and trained for almost three years now-”

The king quickly bends forward, eyes wide. “Only three years? If you had managed to impress the guards with your battle with such little experience under your belt, you must be quite the spectacle.”

You know that feeling when someone gushes over something you’ve created, but all you can see is the most half-assed, no passion, “just a fluke” thing you’ve gone and done, while all your better, actual triumphs are missed entirely? But you can’t be rude because they’ve done nothing wrong and you don’t wanna come across as a show off?

That’s exactly how you felt listening to the gosh dang _**king of the ZORAS**_ praise you for what was essentially a lucky break.

The other zora, whom you had already forgotten about and startled you when he spoke, also thought very little of your battle. “King Dorephan, I could hardly call one measly fight with a common moblin impressive, let alone enough for what we are asking for.” 

Now like you said, it didn’t feel right to be praised for such sloppy work, and you definitely weren't used to receiving praise in general. But you also weren’t about to stand there and let the saggiest fish you’ve ever seen, mock your skills when he hasn’t even seen the best of you. But before you can give the manta ray fool a piece of your mind, the king speaks. 

“Muzu! Do not treat our guest with such indecency,” the king scolds. The elder, or Muzu you learn, grumbles to himself, but says nothing more. 

The king straightens himself upon the throne. “Forgive my councilman, we are not in a position to throw away opportunities. Please, I must ask you to listen to our plea.” 

You nod, still eyeing the soured attitude of the councilman to the side. 

“Hmm, to begin, we Zora have thrived by ourselves for millenia among the lakes and rivers littering this tucked away section of Hyrule. Every year we fish up enough produce and food to get us by in the winter months, when the waters freeze from the cold,” the ruler explains, voice strong and patient, making sure you’re following along. 

“But in recent years with the defeat of Calamity Ganon, and the wealth of new visitors, we find ourselves in need. We have been unfortunate this time, we are afraid that we do not have enough stocked up to pass through to spring. We may be able to rely on other foraged items, but I fear the worst.”

This catches your attention, and you find yourself intently listening to what the royal has to say. 

“Before the Calamity, when we were low on reserves we looked to the great trading post of Gerudo Town, and asked for their aid. But with the Great Calamity forcing us to seal ourselves away for safety, we had cut ties with our allies, and relied on ourselves.” 

He looks to you with great sorrow in his eyes. “We wish to rekindle these bonds with our past Allies, and seek help once more. But this requires a member of the royal family to make such decisions, and the way there is unspeakably dangerous, filled with electrically charged foes who would prove fatal to our kind.”

Fright flashes in his eyes as he imagines the worst. “If the prince, my son, were to venture there by himself, even with all his might, it is not likely he will succeed. Which is why I must ask you, dear Hylian, please, would you take on this burdensome task, travel with and protect my boy on his journey, and aid us in this trying time?”

At this point, your jaw has fully dropped, and you try to take it all in. You sputter, struggling to find an answer.

_“Do you not have the decency to help people in need?”_

The zora’s words from last night echo in your head, and it slowly dawns on you that he was talking about something much _more_ than just himself. The hopeful eyes of the townsfolk stain the back of your eyelids, and you feel a gut wrenching amount of guilt swarm you.

You felt _horrible._

You look up to the king, meekly, almost afraid to ask the one question that would cement your next big decision. “..If I do this, will this save people’s lives? Or at least help them?”

He ponders this, “I am certain it will help every one of my people. While I can’t predict the future, or know for certain if it means life or death…” He trails off, considering his next words very carefully. He finally settles on them, and looks at you with serious and misty eyes, “But yes, I believe it will.”

Your eyes fall to the floor, and you know, whether you like it or not, exactly what you were going to do next.

“I’ll do it.” You raise your chin and stare up at the towering figure, now so vulnerable to a speck like you. “I’ll do anything I can to help, if it means lives will be saved.” The determination is evident both in your voice and your expression. The king nods, and you can tell he knows you’re serious.

Gratitude overwhelms his features, he lets out a hearty laugh, “Thank you my dear Hylian! This is truly splendid! You will be hailed for this, I promise you we are in your debt.”

You offer a small smile, and the storm in your stomach starts to ease. You had already been mulling over visiting Gerudo town next before all this. Perhaps this won’t be so bad.

Footsteps behind you halt your musings, and you turn around to see who had arrived. When you recognize who it is, your jaw drops and the painful storm in your stomach resumes full force.

“Hmm? Ah, Sidon! Good news my boy! This skilled hylian here has offered help with our predicament!” The king grins wide, ever so pleased with the situation, “Look here, dear Hylian, this is Prince Sidon! Your traveling companion in the nearing journey.”

The apparent prince, your newfound companion, was none other than the desperate, rude, splish splashing zora from last night. And you, local fool number one, just signed up to be stuck with him for the next couple weeks. 

“Oh, _no._ ”


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> First day, surprise fights and soft nights.

“Must you kick every single rock that crosses your path?”

With his words you kick the next small stone with a bit more oomph, and watch it clack down across the bay, plunging into the depths of the river below.

“Well I can’t exactly kick my ‘client’ in the face, so this is the next best thing,” you sneered. 

You've been hiking down Ruto Mountain and following alongside Zora River ever since sunrise. You and the Prince had managed to clear past the Bank of Wishes by mid noon, and were now partially into Tabahl Woods. Which is mostly due to you ever so generously clearing out enemies on your way to the Domain the past few days. Who knew it would work in your favor?

You hadn't run into anything so far besides a few measly slimes, which you took out from a distance with ease. Thank Hylia, because you really didn't want to depend on Sharkboy over there to save your hide.

The chaos from yesterday had been... Interesting. When realization struck both of you about the situation, you had pointed at each other wildly, gawking and sputtering like fish out of water, which looking back now was strangely appropriate. When the two of you finally managed to deliver an explanation that was comprehensible, the reactions from the king and his councilmen differed greatly from one another. 

His majesty found it rather humorous, and granted you both with a great, hearty round of laughter. The wrinkly councilman, however, did not find the situation nearly as amusing. But as much as he had bickered and argued about how _“untrustworthy this lowly hylian”_ was, the king had heard none of his pleas, or your own.

“Given the circumstances we cannot afford to be picky,” he had claimed. But it was more than that, he held a twinkle in his eye. “Besides, I’ve taken a shine to this Hylian, I do not suspect treachery on their part. Who knows, perhaps over time Sidon will take a shine to them as well.” And with a hearty chuckle, your fates were sealed. You could almost hear the metaphorical gavel slamming down on your hopes.

However you found out this morning, when you woke up and left the Inn with your new bloke of a travel companion after he came to fetch you, the problem wasn’t dealing with his overwhelming presence, it was getting him to shut up.

“Remind me again why you despise me so?”

He pulls you from your miserable thoughts and you huff. “Because you ambushed me, basically poured a tub of water on me, demanded my help afterwards, you also have this annoying little thing where you have to be fancy and enunciate _every word-_ ”

“Alright now you’re just mocking me,” he cuts in. You scoff in response, and he sighs. “I apologize for what I’ve done to wrong you.” 

You ignore him and keep marching forward, looking for the passage that’ll take you through to the next clearing. Unfortunately, he takes your silence as encouragement and rushes in front of you, the zora spear strapped to his back clanging as he hurried, stopping with his arms stretched wide and hopeful. “We got off on the wrong foot, perhaps we could start over?”

You eye him, then push past him, scoffing once more. “Pass.”

You hear him call from behind you, frustrated beyond belief, “You’re insufferable you know!”

“Ok, Fancy Tuna.”

“Fancy.. Tuna?”

You keep looking among the rocks from the underpass entrance, but decide to humor him. “Fancy, because you’re a spoiled little rich boy, and Tuna, because ya know, fish.”

"How crass of you," he comments, his lip curled in disgust.

You turn to give him a fake but sickeningly cheery smile, “Thanks, it’s what I was going for.” 

Now it was his turn to huff, you catch him crossing his arms, annoyed, before you go back to your work. You finally find the small, rocky tunnel and hop in. Sadly, your job requires this royal pain to follow you, so you gesture for him to do so. 

When he doesn’t, you pop back to check on him. “Oh come on, you can’t tell me you’re _that_ upset over the fancy tuna thing.”

He squints, confused. “What? No! I was just wondering how you plan to be a guide in the dark. Don't Hylians such as yourself struggle to see in darker areas?” 

Oh, right, Zoras basically had night vision. 

“It’s fine, look, it’s only a few feet. It’s not that dark.” You pull him into the tunnel and gesture dramatically to the bits of light peeking in from the other side. “Sorry Fancy Tuna, perhaps you’ll be useful another time.” You condescendly pat his arm before making your way down the stone burrow.

You hear him grumble to himself and fidget with the zora spear on his back before his footsteps signal he was starting to follow suit. Your hand lightly traces the wall to your left, keeping track of where you were as you proceeded. Finally, some peace and quiet-

“If it gets too dark in the future, you could always hold onto me as I escort you through.”

You choke on your spit and your thoughts, “Wh- Absolutely not! Hard pass! _No thank you!_ ” You try to control the sudden pitch in your voice, “I’d rather get shot in the head by an arrow than blindly hold onto _you_.”

The underpass finally opens out onto a field and you hurriedly climb up. You hear the Prince grunting as he struggles to get himself out. 

"Little help?"

You flirt with the idea of letting him struggle, but end up just rolling your eyes and reaching out to pull him up anyways. He graciously accepts, both of you grunting as you heave, and out he goes. You dust yourself off, your back to the clearing and your companion.

“Rather get shot by an arrow huh?” said companion comments, his tone considerate and low. 

“Definitely.”

“Well here’s your chance.”

You peer around you, and realize what he was talking about. Lizalfos, about two or three, were standing atop their little posts with bows ready in their little claws.

“Oh sweet Hylia, get down!” You grab him and harshly pull both of you low to the ground, hidden behind an outcropped boulder. You let a few moments pass before you slowly peek out from behind the cover. They hadn't spotted you yet, you let out a quiet sigh of relief. 

“Wouldn’t blindly hold onto me, huh?” your company whispers. You look down, confused, and find that your hand was still pressed onto his shoulder. You snatch your hand away from him like his skin was fire, getting a laugh out of him, which quickly died in his throat when your harshened gaze met his. 

You take another peek at the enemies. You remember slipping through this section. There were way too many to deal with by yourself at the time, all equipped with either shock arrows or their signature, forked boomerangs. You had snuck through the shadows and took out the ones on the guard posts before they spotted you and alerted the rest of their merry band. You left the ones that didn’t see you and moved on. Which unwittingly left the future you, with the current problem, _hurray._

Considering their new positions on the posts, they must’ve noticed their allies were gone eventually and took up the front lines in their stead, _great._

You formulate a plan in your head, and start to reach for your bow and a handful of normal arrows. Your blabbermouth of a travelling partner, however, thinks that now was a good time to grind your gears again. 

“Why are you so bent on resisting my companionship?” he whispered again. You resist the urge to scream at him. 

“Because, I don’t need or want someone like you around slowing me down.” you start to position yourself, stringing your bow tight. “People only let you down, if you’re by yourself you only have one skin to save. Besides, I’ve never been good in groups anyway.”

He finally stops talking, and you relax, and go back to targeting the closet lizalfos. You aim carefully, your arrow poised to strike it right through the eye. The scaly fiend turns, your fingers loosen-

“Not very surprising considering how much of a nuisance you can be.”

 _Fwish!_ The arrow flies through the air and merely grazes the monster’s cheek. To your horror it whirls around with a high pitched grunt and spots you immediately. You duck, but the sound of the war horn bellowing alerts you it was too late.

You turn on the zora immediately, trembling with rage. He shuts his mouth with an audible click, abashed by what he’d caused. You were absolutely seething. 

But before you can show the prince just how angry you were, something flies by overhead, causing the both of you to drop even lower to the ground. It hummed as it zipped by, and landed a few feet back with a small boom. Considering the idiot next to you was prone to shock arrows, this one was definitely your fight.

You jab a finger at his face and then to the ground, “ _Stay put._ ” You unsheath and ready your sword, keeping your bow closeby. 

“But this is my fault I-”

“Sidon, I swear to Hylia if you make this into an emotional spat, I’ll beat you to death with a stick.”

He shuts up again, this time hopefully for longer than before. Another few charged arrows whizz by, and you take your chance. 

Springing out from behind your cover, you quickly roll towards the closest guard post, narrowly missing the few arrows sent your way. Before the lizalfos on top can think twice, you surge up the makeshift ladder and knock it back off the podium. The emerald monster topples down with an outcry, and you drop down after it, the tip of your sword coming down deep into its chest. The beast shrieks, and bursts into darkness and dust, and you finally allow yourself to breathe. 

One down.

Quickened footsteps cut your celebration short however, you whirl around, sword in hand, only to be met with a scaly tail sweeping your feet out from under you. You crash down onto your back with a gasp, stunned. 

Instinct and adrenaline were the only reasons you managed to bring your sword back up in time to block the blow from the foe’s own weapon. Holding onto each end with both your hands, you push the fiend back after some struggle. It shrieks as it wobbles in place, and you take the opportunity to roll away, missing the next stroke that came. You get to your feet and begin your offense. 

The trick with lizalfos is their immense speed, it easily outmatched most of what Hyrule has to offer. You take one step and they’ll take five. Even if you manage to get in close, you’re sure to be nowhere near them in seconds. The only way to utilize melee is to wait for them to attack and take advantage of the little time you had in that close proximity. 

And so the battle kicked off. Back and forth the two of you went. Push and pull. One quick dodge to another, with a lucky strike here and there. Like a dance you slipped past the enemy's attacks and made your own, panting as the fight drew on.

With one final slash of your sword, the scaly beast cried out, and joined the fallen, its dusty remnants littering the ground.

You eye your surroundings for more contenders, but jolt when you hear the hidden prince shout. You jerk around and catch glimpses from beyond the outcropping of red arms gripping a spear, while green, scaly hands try to claw past the bar.

Well he _did_ stay put, not really his fault this time.

You rush forward a bit then retrieve your bow and aim, but find it impossible to get a clear shot. Too many flailing limbs and sudden jerks from the defense. If you didn't do this right you could end up with way more immoral seafood than you'd like and a very angry kingdom.

You inch closer, "Try and shove it off!" 

"What do you think I'm doing?!" The clanging of claws on metal further prove his point.

You bite your lip and decide to take a risk. Creeping closer and silently praying the lizalfos doesn't change targets or get the best of the prince, you ready yourself.

"Shove as hard as you can now!"

"What? Why?!"

"Just trust me, fishsticks!"

While it was the biggest thing you've ever asked of him, he does as he was told. With a great heave the overgrown lizard is pushed back a small distance, and more importantly, in your range. Before it can return to slice up your partner, an arrow then two pierce it straight through the skull. After a pause and a strangled screech, it crumbles to the ground, scattering ash around the plain with a small boom. 

Silence falls over the area, the only sounds were the labored breathing from both of you as you try to catch up to the present. Soon clouds start to obscure the setting sun. Sidon was the first to break the silence. "Well that was… Unexpected."

You only nod at first, but then realize he can’t see you from his position backed against the minor cliff below you. “Y-Yeah... Well, let this be a lesson to keep our bickering separate during a fight.” You start to put away your weapons and reorganize your things in your bag, and look to the rapidly darkening, orange sky. “We should camp soon, we got maybe an hour left until dark.”

You get to your feet and hop down off the steep ledge and near the zora prince. He murmurs an agreement of sorts, which you expected after all of that chaos. What you don’t expect, however, is what he says to you next.

“...I’m sorry.” You look at him, surprised. He doesn’t meet your gaze, instead keeping it to the ground below. “For causing all of that.”

You look him up and down for a minute, trying to come up with a reply. You were exhausted from the skirmish, and didn’t have it in you to keep up the feud… At least for now.

“... Don’t worry about it.”

And with that the conversation was over, and you both started to plan where to stay for the night and gather firewood. But the entire time you did so he eyed you, and you wondered if he had taken your merciful words to heart.

~~~

The two of you eventually settled on staying in the rocky tunnel for the night, a good place to hide or to escape if trouble arose. The flickering campfire you had made stayed towards the mouth of the cave, close enough for you to stay warm, but wouldn't suffocate you both in your sleep.

That same fire felt pleasantly warm now, painting a portion of the passage with an ever shifting, yellow light. You were both resting by it, taking in the warmth. You were fiddling with the contents of your rucksack, looking for leftovers from recent meals. While Sidon stayed toward the entrance, a bit aways from you, with his scratched up spear resting against the wall beside him. He hadn’t said a word since the lizalfos exchange, instead remaining deep in thought as he stared at the embers in front of him. You were both grateful for, and unnerved by the silence.

You eventually found some food you had stowed away in paper wrappings for lackluster nights, when the hunt wasn’t as successful. Some extra roasted bass and other meats and foraged items you had found on your recent treks. You restrain the squee threatening to come out and instead cough to cover it, making the unusually quiet prince eye you curiously.

“Umm... Here,” you shove the two bass in his hands. “You’ll like this more than me.” 

You had already planned on giving him the fish, considering it was the main portion of a zora’s usual diet, while Hylians were more diverse in tastes. But when the Prince kept staring at you, bewildered, you realized that it didn’t translate.

“Uh, because you eat fish a lot, I think? _Yeah that’s what the king said-_ So it’d be better if you finish those off because I want the meat I have here _instead-_ ”

To your absolute horror the zora starts _laughing_ at you. While it was most definitely not malicious in nature, more so lighthearted amusement, it was enough to turn your face a shade darker than normal and jumble your words.

“What’s so funny?!”

“I- I’m sorry..! It’s just I’ve never heard you just _talk_ to me before, up to now you’ve only lashed out. So when you ramble trying to defend yourself for being nice to me..! I can’t help it..!” He’s trying to reign it in, but you still can see the corners of his mouth perking up from behind his hand that’s desperately trying to cover it

You flush, “I am _not_ being nice! It’s just what I said! I want the meat, you get the fish! You people eat fish! It’s just common sense!”

“Alright..! Alright..” He pulls himself together, but there’s still an amused glint in his eyes. 

You huff, and start grumply chewing on your half of the meal. While not warm in the slightest, it fills you up. The day had worn down on both you, and your stomach. Soon enough you’re tearing the last few scraps off the bone, wishing you had a few more bites to finish off, but then you remember. A ruby red apple rests by your bag, you seize it and kick your feet excitedly. But before you can chow down, you notice Sidon acting funny.

He’s stealing looks at the fruit from the corner of his eye, the sticks that once held the bass bare and lying by his side. You look him up and down, thinking about how much the big guy probably needs to eat, then look down at the food in your hands.

After a moment of arguing with yourself and your ideals in your head, you sigh and hand him the apple. “Just take it.” You refuse to make eye contact with him as you do so, keeping your eyes fixed to the opposite wall.

Eventually you feel his much larger hands brush yours, and grab the fruit. Moments pass, but you don’t hear him eat, only a _snap._ Confused, you look over, and see him with half an apple in his outstretched hand. 

Surprise turns into a quiet scoff, but you snag the gift from him anyways. There’s no need to be prideful when it comes to the bare necessities of life. At least that was the excuse you gave yourself. But…

“Wait.”

He stops mid bite, looking at you with wide eyes as his teeth clamp down around the edge of the slice. You snicker at the pose, “Hold on.” You dig through a specific pouch in your bag and bring out half a bar of goat butter. You motion to him with grabby hands, and he gives you back his portion. Slathering on both of the halves with the dairy, you hold it back out to him, thick slabs of butter layered atop of his half. “It’s better this way.”

You bite down into your half and almost moan. The sweet, crisp fruit paired amazingly with the soft, rich butter. A poor man's meal to some, or an odd combination to others, but to you it was quite the treat. It was rare for a constant traveler, such as yourself, to get their hands on items found only in towns or through trade. You could find all sorts of ingredients and food in the wild, but dairy and specific produce remained exclusive to domestic places of interest. You try to save as much of the stuff as possible, but you just can't help yourself sometimes.

While you were in bliss enjoying the dessert, Sidon eyed it carefully, viewing it at different angles as if he'd find a big, red flag hiding somewhere on it. Eventually he decides it's safe to eat and takes a tiny nibble, and then another, and then a big bite. His eyes flutter close as he savors the odd snack.

"Told you," you roll your eyes. You swear you saw his pupils double in size when he took another bite.

Happy chewing fills the silence, with the night crickets and crackling fire playing along with the new noise. Soon you're both finished and a content sigh leaves your lips. Yep, that hit the spot.

You ease your back against the wall, satisfied, and listen to the night. 

"When did you get so soft?"

You bristle at your companion's sudden question, and turn on him. "I- Wh- No!!" Was all you could manage as you sputtered. You took a moment to compose yourself. "I did not get soft, I'm just making sure you get enough to eat. You're no use hungry or weak. And that butter needed to be finished off soon anyway."

He nods along, agreeing "Right. Sure." But the knowing smirk plastered on his face says otherwise.

"I mean it! This doesn't change anything!" You claim, pulling your cloak over yourself tight, rolling over on your side and facing away from him. The quiet atmosphere resumes itself and you hear the prince sigh. You think back to today, how the two of you handled the monsters, and bite your lip.

"But… You weren't that bad against the lizalfos today." You hear him shift, but continue, knowing that he's listening. "Just don't get backed up against a wall like that again."

He chuckles, "Softie."

" _THAT'S IT I'M GOING TO BED GOODNIGHT._ "

You hear him laugh once more, but eventually all the noise dies away as you both settle down. You let your eyelids fall, and your thoughts drift away.

Man, was this guy infuriating.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I realized like 3/4s into finishing this chapter that I accidentally set myself up to write the reader as a tsundere and I'm super :| Like ok guess we're doin this now

**Author's Note:**

> Novice writer trying their best
> 
> You can reach me at @muffinmaster4life on tumblr, as well as my art blog @bakerymanslaughter


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